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How the Swedish postal system works

The Swedish postal system is most probably quite different to the postal system in your homeland.

The following article will explain how the postal system works.

The postoffice does not exist in Sweden. Exciting isn't it? A number of years ago Posten, the Swedish postal agency, decided to restructure its work. Instead of having post offices, similar to the ones that exist in many countries, they have created a system whereby local supermarkets, newsagents, petrol stations and other similar shops act as postal service agents. This means that they can do most of the important things that you want relating to post: you can buy stamps, you can buy envelopes or packets and so forth. You can usually find a postbox nearby.

Some postal service agents are more "important" than others: here you will be able to collect packets that you may receive from parents/internet shopping or whatever. You will receive a little notice from Posten in your mailbox stating where you can collect your package. You simply take some ID and your notice from the post and you can collect your package.

Really big stuff or commercial stuff is often delivered to a Företagscenter. You pretty much shouldn't have to worry about these.

While in some countries you may be able to pay your bills or organise an ID card at the post office you will not be able to do this in Sweden. The postal services here are simply that: postal!

To post a letter you will need the following items:

1) A letter

2) An envelope

3) A stamp

4) A postbox

Letters (unwritten of course!) and envelopes can be acquired at most supermarkets and also stores that sell stationary, such as Studentbokhandeln and Akademibokhandeln (the student book stores), shops such as Svanströms and other stationers (kontorsmaterial - office supplies - in Swedish) and even places such as Clas Ohlson.

Stamps can be acquired from any shop where you see the logo of the Swedish postal service, Posten. The logo looks like this

You can post your letters in a postbox (crazy, I know!). A postbox may take a number of different forms, but the one you want is the yellow one, shown in the picture below.